Searchlight deliver a beautiful collection of jazz, soul, funk, and hip-hop tracks on their self-titled debut album

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Jazz/soul duo Searchlight, consisting of Cian McCann and Dom Purcell have released their debut self-titled studio album, via Goldie’s label Fallen Tree 1Hundred. For the drum & bass lovers out there, you will of course know the Searchlight duo as Zero T and Beta2 who will have, no doubt, graced your ears over the years with their delectable bass-driven rhythms. Searchlight became a highly anticipated record after it gained key support from Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs and Lauren Laverne on BBC 6Music with additional spot plays from Benji B, Goldie, Future Soul and the Chillest Show on BBC Radio 1.

The album, ‘Searchlight’ is a fine collection of tracks that weave in and out of jazz and soul-infused styles like a beautifully crafted piece of audio artwork. The styles of jazz, soul, funk, atmospheric, and hip-hop are presented in such as way that you do not know where the album began and where it will end and almost feels more like a live jazz set in some dimly lit jazz club. The album transitions from instrumental tracks to the stunning soul-influenced vocals of Tolü Makay, and Manchester’s soul sensation and Children of Zeus collaborator, K S R who features on two tracks, ‘We Could Be More’ and ‘Journey’. Tolü Makay is given plenty of much-deserved focus, as she features on three of the tracks on the album and they all deliver what can only be described as vocal perfection. Tolü Makay’s voice is nothing short of mesmerising! Her vocals wouldn’t be a miss on the recent Subjective album and I’d certainly love to hear a Goldie remix of ‘Breathe’. PAV4N & Steo come together with Searchlight to deliver an emotive and inspiring peace of hip-hop on the track, ‘Out Of Order’. The final track on the album, ‘Preacher’ is a jazz-infused broken beats number that anyone can just kick back and get lost within its finely crafted drums and deep thoughtful melodies.

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Musically, this album is as good as it gets for jazz-infused atmospheric sounds and hip-hop beats, and it is clear to hear, for all that listen, that Cian McCann and Dom Purcell are truly talented producers in every aspect. To deliver a body of work like ‘Searchlight’ is something that will stand the test of time, I am sure. It is certainly an album many will revisit for years to come. If you were brought up with the likes of Rae & Christian, then this album is one you have to own. This album will no doubt see the Searchlight duo cemented into the jazz and soul scene, as well as capturing the hearts of true music collectors that want to search out those masterpiece albums.

‘Searchlight’ tracklist:
1. It’s Like
2. We Could Be More Ft. [ K S R ]
3. Can We Go Back Ft. Tolü Makay
4. Sat On A Wall
5. Line Of Sight Ft. Illaman & Lariman
6. Freedom
7. Journey Ft. [ K S R ]
8. Breathe Ft. Tolü Makay
9. Out Of Order Ft. PAV4N & Steo
10. Afraid Of The Dark Ft. Tolü Makay
11. Preacher

You can Buy/Stream ‘Searchlight’ HERE


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About the Author

Director and DJ, Ian French (Naif) is passionate about many genres of music from Breakbeat and Drum & Bass to Techno and Electronica. A man that lives in a world of bass and beats, Ian is an obsessive collector of music and a true geek at heart, with many years spent in application design.